Home » Archive by category "Economic Policy for Central America and the Caribbean" (Page 38)

Advancing Our Interests: Actions in Support of the President’s National Security Strategy

Advancing Our Interests: Actions in Support of the President’s National Security Strategy
Read the National Security Strategy on WhiteHouse.gov. SECURITY Disrupt, Dismantle, and Defeat Al-Qa’ida and its Violent Extremist Affiliates in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Around the World: Since this Administration took office, it has been working with key partners around the world – including in the Gulf, Africa, Asia, and Europe – against al-Qa’ida and its extremist affiliates who remain …

Read more on The White House

Posted on May 31, 2010 by , Reply

Environmental Risk Aversion for Waste Derived Biomass

1.0 Introduction

This 21st century has become an age of recycling where a lots of emphasize is placed on reuse of material to curb current environmental problems and maximize use of depleting natural resources and energy conservation. Modern day sustainable use and management of resource recommend need to incorporate recycling culture in our ways of life including technological process. Biomass is not left behind in this; the use of biomass energy resource derived from the carbonaceous waste of various natural and human activities to produce electricity is becoming popular. Biomass is considered as one of the clean, more- efficient and more-stable means of power generation. And it has become imperative for marine industry to tap this new evolving power generation mode especially the use of micro generation approach considering the mobile nature of ships.

 

Biofuels exist in solid, liquid or gas form thereby potentially affecting three of our core markets. Solid biofuels or biomass tend to be used in external combustion, however its use in the shipping industry has been limited to liquid biofuel due to lack of appropriate information economics forecasts, Sources of biomass include by-products from the timber industry, agricultural crops, raw material from the forest, major parts of household waste, and demolition wood, all things being equal using pure biomass that do not affect human and ecological chain make it suitable energy source. Biomass has low sulfur content means biomass combustion therefore considered much less acidifying than with coal, for example. Also, the ashes from biomass consumption, which are very low in heavy metals, can be recycled.

One advantage of biomass compared to other renewable-based systems that require costly advanced technology (such as solar photovoltaics) is that biomass can generate electricity with the same type of equipment and power plants that now burn fossil fuels. Many innovations in power generation with other fossil fuels may also be adaptable to the use of biomass fuels. Various factors have hindered the growth of the renewable energy resource, however. Most biomass power plants operating today are characterized by low boiler and thermal-plant efficiencies; both the fuel’s characteristics and the small size of most facilities contribute to these efficiencies. In addition, such plants are costly to build.

Biomass remains potential renewable energy contributor to net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by offsetting CO2 from fossil generation. The current method generating biomass power is biomass fired boilers and Rankine steam turbines. Recent research work in developing sustainable, and economic biomass focus on high-pressure supercritical steam cycles , use of feedstock supply system, and conversion of biomass to a low or medium gas that can be fired in combustion turbine cycles, resulting in efficiencies one-and-a-half times that of a simple steam turbine. biofuels has potential to influence marine industry, and it as become importance for designers and ship owners to accept their influence on the world fleet of the future especially the micro generation concept with co generation for cargo and fuel for  ships.

 

The paper discuss conceptual work, trend , sociopolitical driver, economic, development, and future of biomass with hope to bring awareness to local, national and multinational bodies making biofuels policies as well as maritime multidisciplinary expertise in regulation, economics, engineering, and vessel design and operation. The paper also discusses how the shipping industry can take advantage of growing tide to tap benefit promised by waste use power generation system.

 

 

2.0 Biomass developmental trend

 

The concept of use of Biofuels for energy generation has has been existing concept, and in the face of challenges posed by environmental need, its growth is likely to dominate renewable energy market. Following the advent of peanut oil diesel engines developed by Rudolf Diesel in 1911 the production and use of biofuels worldwide has grown significantly in recent years. The current world biofuels market is focused on: Bioethanol blended into fossil motor gasoline (petrol) or used directly and biodiesel or Fatty Acid Methyl Ester diesel blended into fossil diesel. However the use of The Fischer-Tropsch model that involve catalyzed chemical reaction to produce a synthetic petroleum substitute, typically from coal, natural gas or biomass, for use as synthetic lubrication oil or as a synthetic fuel seem promising and negate risk posed by food based biomass. This synthetic fuel runs only in diesel engines and some aircraft engines. Oil, product and chemical tankers being constructed now are likely to benefit much more from use of biomas. However use on gasoline engines ignites the vapors at much higher temperatures, which pose limitation to inland water craft.

 

Biomass generation and growing trend can be classified into 3 generation types:

first generation’ biofuels relate to biofuels made from sugar or starch, producing bioethanol, and vegetable oil or animal fats producing biodiesel. First generation biofuels provoke increasing criticism through their dependence on food crops and issues over biodiversity, land use and human rights. Hybrid technology for percentage blending is being employed to mitigate food production impact. Second generation biofuels mitigate problem posed by the first generation biofuels. They do not affect food crops because they are made from waste biomass from agricultural and forestry, fast-growing grasses and trees specially grown as so-called “energy crops”. With technology, sustainability and cost issues to overcome, second-generation biofuels are still several years away from commercial viability and many second generation mass produced biofuels are still under development including the biomass to liquid. Fischer-Tropsch production technique. third generation biofuels are green fuels like algae biofuel made from energy and biomass crops that have been designed in such a way that their structure or properties conform to the requirements of a particular bioconversion process. They are made from such as sewage, and grown on ponds.

 

Just like tanker revolution influence on ship type, demand for biomass will bring, will bring capacity, bio -material or completed product from source to production area and then to the point of use, will bring technological, environmental change will require ships of different configuration, size and tank coating type. As well as impact on the tonne mile demand will change accordingly.

 

Effect on shipping is likely to follow shipping large scale growth on exports and seaborne trade from key exporting regions, particularly South America. Brazil has a key role. Brazil has already been branded to be producing en-mass ethanol from sugar cane since the 1970s with a cost per unit reportedly the lowest in the world. And it is currently exploring ethanol

 

Table 1 – World ethanol consumption 2007

Consumption

 

World ethanol consumption –

51 million tones, 2007

Us and brazil

68%

EU and China –

17% – surplus of 0.1 million tones

US deficit –

1.7mt

EU deficit -

1.3 mt

World – deficit

1mt

 

Recent year is also witnessing  emerging trade on biofuel product between the US, EU, and Asia and whilst Brazil exports the most ethanol globally at about 2.9 million tonnes per year, the top importers of the US, EU,Japan and Korea have increasing demand that will have to be satisfied by increased shipping capacity. Seaborne vegetable oil supply is increasingly growing

 

 

Table 2 – Biofuel growth

 

 

 

Vegetable oil

33 mt in 2000 to 59 mt in 2008

 

Palm oil

13 mt in 2000 to 32 mt forecast in 2008.

 

a 7.5% p.a growth rate

Soya bean

7 mt to some 11.5 mt in 2008,

 

EU

imports – 5.7 mt in 2001 to an expected 10.3 mt for 2008

8.9%.

 

3.1 mt in 2001 to 5.2 mt forecast for 2008

39%

 

Production capacity- 1.9 mt in 2002 to 11 mt in 2007, with 2007.

 

50% of total capacity.

 

 

Recently biofuel is driving a new technology, Worldwide; the use of biofuels for cars and public vehicles has grown significantly. With excess capacity waiting for source material it seems inevitable that shipping demand will increase.

 

3.0 Inter industry Best Practice

 

3.1 Land based use - 

 

UK pumps mandate at least 2.5% biofuels. This target will rise to 5% by 2010. Also in the UK, the first train to run on biodiesel went into service in June 2007 for a six month trial period. The train uses a blended fuel, which is 20% biodiesel and the operator, Virgin Trains, is confident the mix can be increased to at least a 50% mix with the further possibility to run trains on fuels entirely from non-carbon sources. On January 15, 2006- Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA lunch a program to test a 20% blend of biodiesel (B20) in its buses. In two months they used approximately 45,000 gallons of B20. As a result of the test, in April 2006 they began using biodiesel fleet-wide. In addition to using B20 in the winter months, COTA has committed to using 50-90% biodiesel blends (B50 – B90) during the summer months. This is projected to decrease regular diesel fuel consumption by over one million gallons per year. 26th of October 2007. buses in the UK running on B100 was launched on  In a pilot project. Argent Energy (UK) Limited is working together with Stagecoach to supply biodiesel made by recycling and processing animal fat and used cooking oil. For power stations, B&W have orders in the EU for 45 MW of two-stroke biofuel engines with a thermal efficiency of 51-52%. Specifically, these operate on palm oil of varying quality, and in the future, it is expected that more engines, whether stationary or marine, will be developed to run on biofuels.

·         US DOE has funded five new advanced biomass gasification research and development projects beginning in 2001(Vermont project)

·         2008 – Ford announced a £1 billion research project to convert more of its vehicles to new biofuel sources. The first trial oft, Last year. BP Australia has now sold over 100 million liters of 10% ethanol content fuel to Australian motorists, and Brazil sells both 22% ethanol petrol nationwide and 100% ethanol to over 4 million cars, It is a trend that is gathering momentum.

In a program initiated by the Swedish National Board for Industrial and Technical Development in Stockholm, several Swedish universities, companies, and utilities are collaborating to accelerate the demonstration of the advanced EVGT for natural-gas firing, especially in small-scale units. A natural-gas-fired EVGT pilot plant (0.6 megawatts of power output for a simple gas-turbine cycle) should start operation in Lund, Sweden, in 1998.

·         AES Corporation is a leading company in biomass conversion internationally. At AES Kilroot in Northern Ireland, the team recently completed a successful trial to convert the plant to burn a mixture of coal and biomass. With further investment in the technology, nearly half of Northern Ireland’s 2012 renewable target could be met from AES Kilroot alone.

3.2 Aero industry–

 

Virgin Atlantic – Air transport is receiving increasing attention because of environmental concerns linked to CO2 emissions, air quality and noise. Virgin Atlantic in collaboration with Boeing and General Electric aircraft alternative fuels project for aircraft. A successful test flight from London to Amsterdam flight took place on 24th February of this year, running one of the four jumbo jet engines on a mixture of 20% coconut oil and babassu nut oil, with 80% conventional jet fuel. This fuel was specifically chosen due to its performance at low operating temperatures. The test was successful, with no noticeable difference in performance. Except that; imitation that biofuel mix used was in no way sustainable in the quantities required by the demands of the aviation industry. In a way to mitigate this Virgin is looking to us use of Algae based fuels as it is predicted that they may be suitable for use at low temperature.

 

3.3  Maritime industry 

 

The use of land based transportation, is growing, however the use for sea based transportation need to be explored. Biofuels  for ship will be advantageous. In recent UK pilot project where Buses are run on B100 Argent Energy (UK) Limited is working together with Stagecoach to supply biodiesel made by recycling and processing animal fat and used cooking oil. Marine engines with their inherent lower speed and more tolerant to burning alternative fuels than smaller, higher speed engines tolerance will allow them to run on lower grade and cheaper biofuels. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL) unveiled a palm oil-based biodiesel since 2005.Optimistic outcome of the trial made RCCL confident enough to sign a contract in August 2007 for delivery of a minimum 15 million gallons and for the four years after, a minimum of 18 millions gallons of biodiesel for its cruise ships fleet. The contract marked the single largest long-term biodiesel sales contract in the United States. In early 2007, United States Coast Guard indicated that their fleet will augment increase use of biofuels by 15% over the next four years. In the marine industry, beside energy substitute advantage, biolubricants and biodegradable oil  are particularly advantageous from an environmental and pollution perspective. Bio lubrication also offer higher viscosity, flash point and better technical properties such as increased sealing and lower machine operating temperature advantageous use in ship operation.

 

Time has gone when maritime industry could afford nitty gritty in adopting technology, other industry are already on a fast track preparing themselves technically for evitable changes driven by environmental problem, Global energy demands and political debate add further pressures to find alternative energy especially bio energy  because of hybridization of old and new system advantage it offer. The implication is that shipping could be caught ill prepared for any rapid change in demand or supply of biofuel. Thus this technology is in the early stages of development but the shipping industry need top be prepared for the impacts of its breakthrough because Shipping will eventually required be at the centre of this supply and demand logistics chain again. Table 3 shows the projection for the main present players.

 

Table3  – projection

 

Region

Growth (1990-1994)

Projection (2020)

United states

7%

15%

Europe

2%

15%

 

4.0 Sources of biomass

North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) region. Supply has classified biofuel into the following four type’s vizs: agricultural residues, energy crops, forestry residues, and urban wood waste/mill residues. A brief description of each type of biomass is provided below:

Agricultural residues from the remaining stalks and biomass material left on the ground can be collected and used for energy generation purposes this include residues of wheat straw and corn stover. Energy crops are produced solely or primarily for use as feedstocks in energy generation processes. Energy crops includes hybrid poplar, and switchgrass, grown on idled, or in pasture, and in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Forestry residues are composed of logging residues, rough rotten salvageable dead wood, and excess small pole trees. Urban wood waste/mill residues are waste woods from manufacturing operations that would otherwise be landfilled. The urban wood waste/mill residue category includes primary mill residues and urban wood such as pallets, construction waste, and demolition debris, which are not otherwise used.

The most important agricultural commodity crops being planted in the United States are listed in Table 4. Corn, wheat, and soybeans represent about 70 percent of total cropland harvested.

 

 

Table 6 shows representative characteristics for different subcategories of urban wood waste and mill residues.

 

5.0 Risk and Uncertainties

Although a significant amount of effort has gone into estimating the available quantities of biomass supply, the following risk and uncertainties that need to be incorporated into design and decision work on biodiesel use are:

Risk to land use – Our planet only have 295 land, for example Brazil has some 200 million acres of farmland available, more than the 46 million acres of land,  required to grow the sugarcane needed to satisfy the projected 2022 Evolving competing uses of biomass materials, the large market consumption, pricing and growing need. In agricultural waste, the impact of biomass removal on soil quality pose treat to agricultural residues that need to be left on the soil to maintain soil quality could result in significant losses of biomass for electric power generation purposes. Impact of changes in forest fire prevention policies on biomass availability could cause vegetation in forests to minimize the potential for forest fires could significantly increase the quantity of forestry residues available. Potential attempt to recycle more of the municipal solid waste stream might translate into less available biomass for electricity generation. \ Impact on the food production industry as witness in recent food scarcity crisis

5.1 Regulatory impact

 

The EU has stated that by 2020 a target of 20% of community wide energy will be renewable. Further to this, all member states are to achieve a mandatory 10% minimum target for the share of biofuels in transport petrol and diesel consumption by 2020.. The legislation provides a phase-in for biofuel blends, including availability of high percentage biofuel blends at filling stations.  The United States Congress passed the Renewable Fuels Standards (RFS) in February 2008, which will require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels in 2022. In parallel to this, work is continuing to reduce emissions further in vehicles. Political drivers in Asia vary according to region. In Southeast Asia, the centre of world production for palm oil, coconut oil, and other tropical oils, political support for farming is the key driver.

 

The issue affecting shipping is whether to refine and use biodiesel locally, or export the unrefined oil for product production elsewhere. In the short term the economics have favored the exports of unrefined oil – which is good news for us. Over the next ten years, with the cost of oil rising, and strict emission reductions in place, the need for increased biofuel production is likely to increase. as well as creating a net positive balance fuel. According to the IEA, world biofuels demand for transport could increase to about 3% of overall world oil demand in 2015 and double by 2030 over the 2008 figure. This does not sound so significant but as we show later it has a significant impact on the specialist fleet capacity demand. As we said before, predicting the trade pattern of biofuels adds a layer of complexity to the overall  nergy supply picture and our oil distribution system.

 

We also believe that this forecast will be the minimum seen as the political pressures will cause the level to rise beyond 3%. To put the scale in context, the current oil tanker fleet of vessels 10,000 dwt or larger comprises of some 4,600 vessels amounting to 386 million dwt. These include about 2,560 Handysize tankers. Additionally, there are some 4,400 more small tankers from 1,000 to 10,000 dwt accounting for 16 million dwt. Our projections show a significant role for seaborne transport, even using conservative bases with high proportions of locally supplied biofuels. This is a significant fleet segment that poses technical and regulatory challenges. As we have discussed, the requirements cannot be fully defined because many market factors remain uncertain, but ship owners who are building new vessels or operating existing vessels should consider this future trade through flexible design options that we will introduce later.

 

 

5.3  Potential Impacts to Shipping

 

The key political drivers for biofuels are environmental concerns, energy security and agricultural policy. The tonne mile demand for future tankers will be greatly affected by national, regional or global policy and political decision making in these areas. There is a greater flexibility in the sourcing of biofuels than there is in hydrocarbon energy sources and this may be attractive to particular governments. Once the regulatory framework is clear, economics will determine how the regulations will best be met and seaborne trade will be at the centre of the outcome. In many parts of the world, environmental concerns are the leading political driver for biofuels. Reflecting these concerns, the global Kyoto Protocol, was negotiated in 1997, and this further provides a driver for the use of biofuels.

 

 

 

 

5.4  Shipping Routes and Economics Impacts

 

The above trend analysis discussed indicate potential capacity requirement from shipping, so far  North America, Europe and South East  Asia are the key importing regions where this growth is concentrated. This includes the Latin American counties of Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay and Southeast Asia’s Indonesia and Malaysia will remain key suppliers for the palm oil, Philippines and Papua New Guinea have potentials for vegetable oil and agricultural while Thailand has potential for sugarcane. This trade potential will determine future trade route from Malacca Straits to Europe, ballast to Argentina, to load soybean oil to China, and then make a short ballast voyage to the Malacca Straits, where the pattern begins again, a typical complicated fronthaul / backhaul combinations that can initiate, economies of scale need top reduce freight costs and subsequent push for bigger ship production and short sea services like recent experience of today’s tankers.  According to plateau case study the following regional impact can be deduced for shipping.

 

 

 

Biofuel

Demand

North America

ethanol

33 million tons

Europe

ethanol and biodiesel.: 50:50

30 million tons

Asia

ethanol and biodiesel.: 50:50

18 million tons

 

North America demand – policy work support biofuel use in the us and 32 Handysize equivalent tankers will be needed to meet US demand in 2015. with technological breakthrough there will be need for 125 vessel 2030.

 

European demand – Due to environmental requirement and energy security believed to be politically acceptable in the EU but economics may drive a different outcome.80 Handysizes with some due to the growth in trade and longer voyage distance.  With technological breakthrough for 2nd and 3rd generation biofuel growth will need growing to 145 in 2030 Aframax vessels if the technical issues can be overcome.

 

Asia demand  - In plateau case  50 Handysize equivalents are required in 2015 and 2030 with forecast vessel sizes being Handysizes with some Panamax vessels 162 vessels total in the three regions.

 

By adding up all the regions, with biofuels as only 3% of world transport demand, we are looking at a fleet of about 400 Handysize vessels to accommodate the demand and supply drivers by 2030 and 162 by 2015. The total vessel forecast for 2030 could means 2,560 vessels of 81 million deadweight tons.

 

As regions identify these growth markets and recognize the economies of $/tonne scale that can be achieved, as shown here, with bigger tonnage, we are seeing natural investment occurring. New port developments in concerned trade rout will be required to accommodate large Panamax vessel and parcel size for palm oil exports. on the long haul routes.

 

5.5  Biomass  Ship Technologies Impacts

Generation

A variety of methods could turn an age-old natural resource into a new and efficient means of generating electricity. biomass in large amounts is available in many areas, and is being considered as a fuel source for future generation of electricity. Biomass is by its nature both bulky and widely distributed and electricity from conventional, centralized power plants requires an extensive distribution network. Traditionally power is generated through centralized, conventional power plant, where biomass is transported to the central plant, typically a steam or gas turbine power plant, and the electricity is then distributed through the grid to the end users. Costs include fuel and transportation, power plant construction, maintenance, and operation, and distribution of the electric power, including losses in transmission.

 

 

Electrical efficiency

capacity

 biomass

thermal efficiency -40 %

$2,000 per kilowat

 

coal

45 %

$1,500 per kilowatt,

 

However, micro-biomass power generators located at the site of end-use seem to offer a path for new solution for energy. Recent development in towards use of micro biomass will equally offer best practice adaptation for marine power. Biomass is used at or near the site of end-use, with heat from external combustion converted directly to electricity by a biomass fired free-piston genset . Costs include fuel and acquisition and maintenance of the genset and burner. Since the electricity is used on site, both transmission losses and distribution costs are minimal. Thus, in areas without existing infrastructure to transmit power, there are no additional costs. In this case it is also possible to cogenerate using the rejected heat for space or hot water heating, or absorption cooling. Previously, option two has not been feasible, since there have been no small (less than ~50 kW) devices for directly and efficiently converting biomass energy to electricity. Micro-biomass power generation is a more cost-effective means of providing power than central biomass power generation. In particular, areas where there is a need for both power and heat – domestic hot water and space heat and absorption chilling – are attractive for cogeneration configurations of this machine. Biomass can be generated using single or ganged free-piston Stirling engines gensets. These micro-biomass generators offer a number of advantages over centralized biomass fueled power plants. They can be placed at the end-user location taking advantage of local fuel prices and do not require a distribution grid. They can directly provide electrical output with integral linear alternators, or where power requirements are larger they can be ganged and drive a conventional rotary turbine. They are hermetically sealed and offer long lives through their non-contact operation.

Biomass for electricity generation is treated in four ways in NEMS: (1) new dedicated biomass or biomass gasification, (2) existing and new plants that co-fire biomass with coal, (3) existing plants that combust biomass directly in an open-loop process,18 and (4) biomass use in industrial cogeneration applications. Existing biomass plants are accounted for using information such as on-line years, efficiencies, heat rates, and retirement dates, obtained through EIA surveys of the electricity generation sector.

Emissions offsets and waste reduction could help enhance the appeal of biomass to utilities  An important consideration for the future use of biomass-fired power plants is the treatment of biomass flue gases. Biomass-combustion flue gases have high moisture content. When the flue gas is cooled to a temperature below the dew point, water vapor starts to condense. By using flue-gas condensation, sensible and latent heat can be recovered for district heating or other heat-consuming processes; this increases the heat generation from a cogeneration plant by more than 30 percent.  Flue-gas condensation not only recovers heat but also captures dust and hazardous pollutants from flue gases at the same time. Most dioxins, chlorine, mercury, and dust are removed, and sulfur oxides are separated out to some extent. Another feature of flue gas condensation is water recovery, which helps solve the problem of water consumption in evaporative gas turbines.

 

Biomass open door for another way rather than competing with fossil fuel plants a substantial opportunity exists to generate micro-biomass electric power, at power levels from fractions of a kilowatts through to tens or hundreds of kilowatts, at the point of en d use. At these power levels neither small internal combustion engines, which cannot use biomass directly, nor reciprocating steam engines, with low efficiency and limited life, can offer the end user economic electric power. Free-piston Stirling micro biomass engine engines are an economic alternative. Stirling offers the following advantages over significantly larger systems:

Stirling machines have reasonable overall efficiencies at moderate heater head temperatures (~600ƒC) cogeneration is simple large amounts of capital do not have to be raised to build a single evaluation plant with its associated technical and economic risks A large fraction of the value of the engine alternator can be reused at the end of its life Stirling systems can be ganged with multiple units operating in parallel.

 

United States: 1996, P1-R96-STAB-00-NTH (Washington, DC, November 1996). l.

marine TECHNOLOGIST

Posted on May 30, 2010 by , Reply

China’s Wood-Based Panel Industry

Under normal circumstances, a performance of the industrial development in external markets is more prone to domestic and foreign competitors in the same industry attention, as our country’s wood-based panel industry, improve its competitive position despite the dominant, but recessive level is still a lot of implicit??. Therefore, it is necessary to combine the impact the competitiveness of wood-based panel industry, many of the elements from the analysis of the root causes of the situation of the industry’s competitiveness.

(A) With regard to natural resources,

China is the world’s wood-based panel producer. While the wood-based panel industry, which really belong to resource-dependent industries. Lack of domestic natural resource endowment, international environmental voice of the grim situation caused by imports of raw materials and the upsurge in tension between social needs, determine the limitations of China’s wood-based panel industry and enterprise to survive the difficult nature. Wood-based panel highlight the lack of wood raw material reflected in the following aspects: 1. As the natural forest protection project in the implementation of major ecological engineering, China’s timber production is gradually reduced; 2. Resources of structural deficiency: Plywood with large diameter class material, hardwood timber, especially valuable hardwood, are alarmingly scarce. For a long time mainly depend on import. Large-diameter grade hardwood, mainly from Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and other regions, but in these areas in recent years, a sharp decline of tropical timber resources.

3. Raw material base construction: Although China’s fast growing forest base construction in the 20th century and the mid-80s has been rapid development. But they are concentrated in a number of ecologically sensitive areas not suitable to provide timber. Another. As the paper raw material swallowed by the rapid development of the wood shortage of raw materials needed for the conflict intensified. Lack of resources led to our logs, plywood and other timber prices above world market average. For wood-based panels in a low-profit status of the whole industry is concerned, the narrow room for downward movement with the high cost of making the development of wood-based panel industry are severely constrained, in the competition in a very unfavorable position. Raw material shortage is affecting the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, the most important disadvantage factor.

(B) With regard to labor costs

Although wages in recent years, China’s labor situation analysis, labor costs increase year by year, but our wood-based panel industry’s employment, total wages and average annual wage Jun Cheng a decreasing trend. In 2005, for example, China’s wood processing and bamboo and rattan palm grass products industry practitioners and workers in the post than that in 2004 a decrease of 0.1%, compared to 2003 decreased by 0.16% and 0.14%: the average annual wage of workers employed is only 8739 yuan , while in 2003 an increase of more than 0.16%, but still at a very low level. In general, the labor costs in developed countries 1 / 10.

Plywood with a labor-intensive features such as primary processing of products and low-end products have obvious advantages. However, with India, Pakistan, Indonesia and other countries compared to recent years, China’s wage cost advantage is gradually lost. Moreover, with today’s demanding noise to improve the labor remuneration, labor costs, labor force growth rate has made the prospect of advantage is not optimistic.

(C) With regard to the quality of labor

While the world’s wood-based panel industries are capital-and technology-intensive industries, but China’s wood-based panel industry demands for the quality of labor is not low, which is the status of wood-based panel industries are inseparable. China’s wood-based panel industry in order to really gain international competitive advantage, must be formed through the integration of labor resources, human capital, depend on the labor force, labor skills, diligence, organizational discipline, capacity for cooperation and innovation, etc. to enhance the overall quality, enhance enterprise management and R & D efforts. At present, China and the world a big gap between labor productivity between the developed countries. As a whole belongs to inefficient structure.

Although our human capital, low price, but because of human capital in these projects, the proportion of total product cost is generally about 15%. Therefore, low efficiency offset some or all of the advantages of human capital, and efficiency are often the contribution to employment costs. Thus, a shift to the efficiency of the industrial structure means that remodeling lumber industry.

(D) With regard to capital

China’s wood-based panel industry has been insufficient capital investment, capital intensity is low, and capital strength weaker. For example, enterprises in developed countries in R & D capital investment is generally 5% to about 10% higher high-tech enterprises R & D investment, China’s overall R & D investment of less than 1%, and wood processing enterprises with fewer R & D capital investment. You want by controlling the resources required to reduce product costs, ensuring the product research and development, quality improvement, technological innovation, scale, marketing, etc. have a greater investment, so as to effectively enhance the international competitiveness of wood-based panels is very difficult.

(5) With regard to science and technology

For a long time, China’s wood-based panel of science and technology innovation focused on universities and research institutes, enterprises have been marginalized, especially the enterprise’s own human resources, and research and development capacities are weak, innovation environment and conditions affected by a number of factors. China’s wood-based panel equipment manufacturers in the production scale, automatic monitoring, testing and automation and control, with the substantial gap between the international level, particularly in the host device and key technology innovation and lack of capacity, long-term follow-up and imitation at the level of, the lack of its own core technology. At present, the new large-scale continuous press production lines to rely on imports.

China’s and Asia’s largest continuous press production line in 2006 was put into operation in Sanming City in Fujian Province, the largest sub-Wood (Fujian) Co., Ltd. introduced particleboard production line of annual capacity of 450,000 cubic meters, compared to the world’s most advanced particle board production line 70 million cubic meters of annual production capacity for the gap is huge.

(Vi) With regard to product mix

At present, China’s wood-based panel product structure is not entirely reasonable, it is difficult to adapt to changing market demands: high quality large-diameter class proportion of wood as raw material of plywood too large. Accounted for 40% of total wood-based panel. While the world average is only about 30% : The harvesting and processing residues, urban waste wood as raw material, the proportion of smaller particle board. only 9% of the total world average of about 35%: OSB, high-performance composite panels, no glue wood-based panels, non-timber resources and crop straw board products such as the ratio is low; special purpose board, special size board, sheet molding board and environment-friendly production of small, wood-based panel industry in China is not conducive to a comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development.

This situation not only impede the use of the product areas to expand and prolong service life, but also a direct impact on the improvement of economic efficiency of enterprises. It should be clear that, with the relevant policies of adjustment and market demand, China’s wood-based panel will produce a significant change in product mix, new products, new resources will be one after another. To promote a variety of functional, structural use panels kinds of further development, plywood, fibreboard, particleboard and other wood-based panels in the proportion of wood-based panel production will gradually tend to rationalize.

(Vii) With regard to the scale of production

China’s current plywood is about more than 6,000 enterprises, of which 90% of the size of the annual output of 10,000 cubic meters below, only a few to reach an annual output of 20,000 cubic meters or more. Cottage factories spring up all over, companies with low productivity, small scale, with China’s wood-based panel industry, lack of funds, technical level and backward are mutually reinforcing. Small Business Sales income is low. Underfunded. Are able to introduce advanced technology and equipment, while the backward technology and equipment can not be achieved naturally large-scale operation, extremely low cost. Therefore, the enterprises do not possess the necessary economies of scale. Industry, the lack of a super-competitive industry giant, can not be achieved double internal and external economies of scale, restricting the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, upgrade a key factor.

(Viii) With regard to product brands

For a long time, due to production and operation management of non-standard and market disorder, China’s wood-based panel of counterfeit products flooding. Violation of the norms manufacturers and consumers. Industry-wide quality assurance system is not perfect, products, reputation and market share of lower corporate image poor, less-known brands such as a serious problem. However, steady progress in recent years, as wood-based panel industry, enterprises are gradually strengthening brand awareness: as in the production of medium / high density fiberboard as the representative of the Zhejiang Beauty, Luyuan and other enterprises in the whole industry in order to form a certain scale and impact of the industry. has entered a positive phase of development.

In plywood production. Rise of the Zhejiang Province in order to Naruhito Group, Germany and China Bunny or Huayun Feng, Hangzhou Huahai, Zhong-Lin (Southern Star) Wood, Shigetomo timber, Nagata wood, and a group has a leading role in the peer’s enterprises in a container floor with plywood, decorative plywood, Blockboard, the structure of the strong connection with the plywood. “Famous brand strategy” as an effective means of achieving high value-added, is gradually becoming China’s wood-based panel enterprises for the international market, a useful weapon to gain a competitive edge.

(Ix) With regard to the domestic market demand

The long-term stable growth of China’s national economy, GDP continued to increase the total, the state continued to expand domestic demand and adopt a proactive fiscal policy, the quality of life has improved steadily, the domestic demand for wood-based panel continued to rise. The development of the west, the rise of Central China city group, the coastal provinces to promote the construction of small cities and towns, the Three Gorges project and the implementation of water diversion, institutions of higher education enrollment. A large number of agricultural population stationed in cities and towns, making the development of a fast track construction, furniture, flooring and other wood products consumption is skyrocketing. In addition, China’s rising affluence of farmers also makes furniture consumption has skyrocketed. Wood-based panel market prospects for China’s wood-based panel enterprises to provide a good market environment. A more vigorous domestic market demand is the development of China’s wood-based panel industry an advantage.

(10) With regard to environmental issues

From the mid-80s since the last century, China’s wood-based panel industry, expanded the size of at least 25 times (in yield terms). However, greeted not only thriving industry picture, as well as wood-based panel production on the surrounding environment caused by pollution, mainly noise, odor, dust, and sewage and other four major problems. With its continued growth and exports increase every year, people’s attention is no longer confined to production, quality, and direct economic benefit, and not only focus on the discussion of resource and energy issues, the “green plywood” The problem is affecting their The crux of the competitiveness of the new.

Third, the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, the upgrading strategy

With the global trend of economic integration deepens, the international mobility of forest resources increased significantly. These examples show that the global resource integration environment, raising the industry’s competitive edge is to enhance the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, the foundation: China’s wood-based panel will determine the competitiveness of industrial products in international market share. Of China’s wood-based panel industry in order to achieve international competitiveness-oriented strategic shift, there are seven strategies to choose from.

(A) large-scale business strategy

At present, the tide of global economic integration to make a “strategic cooperative competition,” gradually replaced the “exclusive competition” become the main mode of competition.??. Development model of China’s wood-based panel industry is in a state of internal friction: The internal business interests-driven scattered strong tendency to maximize individual interests, it is difficult for the industrial upgrading and to providing a comprehensive power, would lead to unsustainable industrial development. Therefore, we must take advantage of market mechanisms, between the upstream and downstream businesses, the same level between enterprises, leading enterprises and other enterprises and between enterprises of China’s wood-based panel with similar foreign companies or even between the wood-based panel business enterprises and other industries The strategic collaboration between the competition to build strategic alliances with each other to learn advanced technologies and management methods. co-ordination, co-ordination, to make up their own inadequacies and strengthen their own advantages, and ultimately improve the overall strength of industry to jointly guide the promotion of wood-based panel industry the overall development. Should be implemented industry cluster strategy, to develop characteristics of wood-based panel industry town.

Wood-based panel industry, when they should take the group conditions of the road. At present, China Wood-based panel of private enterprises mainly through reorganization, merger, joint, bankruptcy, debt to equity, as well as the development of a diversified economy ingredients absorbed by means of the formation of large enterprise groups, economies of scale, to economic and technical as a link, complementary advantages, promote enterprise reform and vigorously promote the fundamental shift of economic growth, rapidly expanding industry, strength, enhance their competitiveness.

(B) the export market selection strategy

Wood-based panel exports from the overall layout of view, China’s plywood exports of space to Asia, North America and Europe, mainly in which plywood and fibreboard Asia and North America, mainly in Asia and Europe-based particleboard: Asia region with countries in Southeast Asia , district-based. mainly the United States, North America, Europe, the Russian-based. In general, the export destinations of China’s wood-based panel single, export concentration, a higher risk in international trade.

Therefore, the formulation of wood-based panel trade policy on the one hand, the depth of space to expand existing markets, improve product share of existing markets: Male on the one hand to consolidate and strengthen the existing international market, the efforts to open up new markets. to change the export destination and export a single centralized features, optimize the export space layout, reducing the risk of international trade. Import and export of wood-based panel products in the market, the choice should be based on the geographical advantage in China’s eastern and coastal areas will be divided into several sub-markets, partition attack.

1. In the Northeast (Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, etc.) is an important forest industrial base for the Russian and Eastern European countries can make full use of the target market of industrial structure malformations. A shortage of light industrial products, forest resource-rich features to import logs and primary processed products mainly. At the same time can be used in the Northeast edge of raw materials, proximity to the establishment of wood-based panel production base and increase wood-based panel products to the above objectives the country’s exports: 2. The east coast of funds, transport, information and human resources, etc. and strength of wood-based panel strong demand for the product, such a high level of demand in the region can promote the rapid development of wood-based panel production will help further strengthen cooperation with North America (including the United States and Canada, etc.) of the trade, while the main force should be resources invested in developing Oceania import market and Western European export market for finished products; 3. should focus on strengthening the linkages with the Southeast Asian region.

(C) the industrial core of the selection strategy

Chinese wood-based panel industry is composed of a number of distinctive sub-industry. These sub-industry in the international competitive edge of the contribution made by the entire industry is different. Determine the leading industry is one of the most important industrial policy: First, fiber as a new focus. Fibreboard industry is not present, China’s international competitiveness in Asia the most wood-based panel industry. Market share in the “three board” in the location in the middle. However, since 2000 began to adjust their international competitive advantage of increased international competitive advantage has become pronounced, completed from import-oriented type of mutation to the trade balance, and export-led development.

Second, the development of plywood for wood-based panel industry, the anchor. Plywood is now China’s major wood-based panel industry’s most competitive industries, has maintained a relatively high share of international markets, compared to other wood-based panel products are concerned for our country. Plywood export revealed comparative advantages are obvious, vast room for growth. Has close to export-oriented industries. Output and export volume increased year by year in the international market, an extremely important position. With plywood as the anchor of China’s wood-based panel industry. Is determined by its profound historical roots, highlighting the performance of industrial competition and excellent industrial competitiveness by decision.

3 is a particle board for the development of a new entry point for wood-based panel industry. Particleboard as a family, one of the main wood-based panel board species, compared with the other wood-based panels, has produced a relatively small investment, energy consumption and low cost, less demanding on the quality of wood raw material and other advantages. In recent years around the world, especially in North America and Europe to become the fastest growing new board kinds of wood-based panels. At present, China has entered a period of rapid development of particleboard production. In the near future, particleboard wood-based panel industry in China will be a place and have made significant development.

(D) raw material supply expansion strategies

China’s wood-based panel industry, the market plenty of room for great demand. To increase the effective supply the biggest problem is resources. To solve the problem: First, we must attach importance to nurturing the development of reserve resources and accelerating the “Lin board integration” process, to encourage enterprises to raw material forest base Wood-based panel to synchronize the planning and construction simultaneously. Take the “forest board integration” path. That The wood-based panels to create a large scale enterprises belonging to the enterprise since the industrial raw material forest, and to ensure high input, high survival and high returns, to make a scientific upbringing, fine work, careful management. Can take the following pattern: 1. Business model of self-built base of raw materials.

2. Joint venture joint-stock business model. 3. Business and foresters contract-style model. The second is to increase efforts to develop overseas resources: to persist in implementing the “going out” strategy to increase overseas development of forestry resources, in order to alleviate the situation of China’s raw material shortage and to ensure the rapid development of China’s wood-based panel industry, provides a new way of thinking. Third, strengthening the conservation and utilization of forest resources, efficient use: through the development of non-veneer-based wood-based panels, improve product life, indirectly, reduce resource consumption, development of bamboo and wood waste products and waste of resources re-use wood-based panel technology. Development of the cycle economy and achieve sustainable development, a necessary requirement, but also to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises an effective way.

At the same time, actively support the non-wood materials, wood-based panel production as raw materials, mainly including bamboo, agricultural residues, straw and sand shrubs, and other inorganic or organic materials. Government initiatives to encourage waste processing and utilization of resources, on the one hand policy tilt. Through economic levers to a certain amount of subsidies to farmers so that farmers take the initiative to provide agricultural residues to the factory: the other hand, through tax policies to encourage in different crops producing areas, the establishment of the proper size, and reasonable layout of various types of wood-based panel business. Enhanced waste processing and utilization of resources.

(E) technological advances Strategy

For a long time, China’s middle and low wood-based panel industries are relying on low-cost products in the market competitive advantage. However, accession to the WTO, the middle and low head increasingly fierce competition in wood-based panel products, conventional products, profit margins have been compressed to the limit. At the same time, trade protectionism as a very inconsistent with the WTO’s long-standing phenomenon in world trade. This will require the number of wood-based panel industry in the past will be transferred to the expansion of the development model to improve the quality of the development track. While technological innovation is the only way to achieve this shift.

First of all. Establish and improve the wood-based panel industry science and technology investment system and improve the technological changes in the proportion of investment in fixed assets, broadening financing channels, to increase capital investment and technological progress: Secondly, backward equipment to be regularly modified or eliminated, and continuously improve the equipment The level of automation to ensure that products of low-input, low-cost, high-yield. Third, timely adjustments to production processes. To promote the comprehensive utilization of timber increased: four plywood in the construction market is the increasing application of efforts to develop and broaden application areas. Great efforts to develop alternative natural large-diameter timber board-level kinds, various functional and structure of the species with the board to promote industrial upgrading; 5 is to enhance independent innovation capability as the central link in readjusting the industrial structure. upgrading of industrial technology, establish a business-oriented, market-oriented, combining the technology of production and research

    Innovation system and greatly enhance the original innovation, integrated innovation capability and the introduction of digestion and absorption ability to innovate. Enhance the industry as a whole technology.

Specific strategies include: small business model – due to technical weakness, can be used, “the introduction, digestion, absorption, re-innovation” model to avoid the passive situation. Medium-sized models – because of technical strength, capital strength Deng Jun stronger than small businesses, with universities, research institutes and scientific research base to achieve a common form of independent innovation. Large-scale business model – set up an innovation center. Abundant capital companies introduce international advanced experimental equipment and high-level scientific and technological personnel to provide the conditions for experimental conditions with the enterprise’s own R & D team, mature and self-growth, enterprises can independently conduct original scientific research, developing the world’s leading new products, new processes, by applying for patents to form national or international companies a unique intellectual property. and thus the formation of corporate non-tradable and non-imitation of the unique competitive advantage.

(6) Green Development Strategy

At present, many of our low-quality wood-based panel products, cheap, waste resources, pollute the environment. Has seriously hampered the growth of export trade. It raises concerns for environmental protection. In the international market in order to maintain market share. In addition to the State continue to improve the environmental mechanism, give appropriate preferential treatment. The strategy of the enterprise itself but also to make corresponding adjustments. For example, the promotion of green production, develop green products, to green design. In the production process saving and efficient use of resources and energy. Great efforts to develop environmentally friendly, low cost, excellent quality, in line with international environmental standards for green wood-based panel products.

(Vii) security system and improve the strategy

In order to protect the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, the effective promotion, the Government should promptly adjust and improve the industrial policy system. Try to sync with the market changes, in order to achieve wood-based panel of regional distribution companies and product structure more reasonable, from the macro to guide enterprises with the development of the market the development.

    First, wood-based panel of leading enterprises through supportive policies, actively promote the company with a base, the base mode of operation with farmers to promote industrial-scale wood-based panels and specialized, intensive development; the establishment of forestry industry development fund to encourage and support the man-made plate leading enterprises to expand production scale and famous quality products production: through interest payments on loans to support enterprises to improve technology and equipment standards, and expand business scale and raw material forest base construction to give full play to leading enterprises and stimulating effects of radiation.

The second is to accelerate the pace of adoption of international standards, improve the standard system of wood-based panel. China’s wood-based panel of national standards with European standards or internationally accepted standards, such as the British standard, American standard, Germany standard, Japanese standard there is a gap. Adoption of international standards is the Chinese enterprises to participate in international competition in the market needs, but also to break down foreign technical barriers to trade an effective tool. Third, give full play to the role of trade associations. Enterprises as market entities directly involved in the domestic and international free trade. A lot of problems can not be solved a single enterprise, and therefore must rely on industry associations.

In short, to enhance the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, it is necessary to consolidate existing strengths: Through industry collaboration, industrial concentration and the consolidation of the Group strategy of cost-price advantage: diversification through trade patterns and export market selection strategy for the consolidation of the demand advantage: to Fibreboard of wood-based panel industry through the development of a new focus to the development of plywood for wood-based panel industry, the anchor, to particleboard for wood-based panel industry, the new entry point for the development of strategies for the Industry Choice for outstanding core competitive advantages; The second is to reverse the current weakness : Based on the raw material supply strategy, enterprise promotion strategy, the green strategy and industrial policies to adjust the system to improve or reverse the industry to achieve a competitive disadvantage purposes.

I am a professional editor from Chinese Manufacturers, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform.
http://www.chinaqualitycrafts.com/ contain a great deal of information about
dual zone wine , avanti wine cooler
welcome to visit!

Posted on May 30, 2010 by , Reply

MBTA operators discuss challenges, strategies

MBTA operators discuss challenges, strategies
The chief administrators of five of the nation’s oldest transit systems last week identified the high cost of replacing and repairing aging fleets and infrastructure as their top problem, expressed hope for a federal funding infusion, and said persistent budget deficits, labor issues and building public support for transit represent continuing challenges.

Read more on Belmont Citizen-Herald

Posted on May 29, 2010 by , Reply

Excellent Return on investment

Caribbean Market -  Why Invest? http://www.worldwideresource.co.uk

 

Let’s use St Lucia as an example. It is an established and increasingly popular holiday destination that is also one of the most accessible – three major airlines from the UK provide a direct service to St. Lucia (8 hours), and a direct service is available from the following US airports – New York (5 hours), Miami (3 hours), Charlotte (4 hours), Philadelphia (5 hours) and Atlanta (4.5 hours). St Lucia has a stable economic and political environment with a high probability of price appreciation over the next ten years. St Lucia has many of the same advantages as Barbados but property prices are currently 60% lower.
The World Bank has recently placed St Lucia in the top 30 countries in the world to invest, making St Lucia the only Caricom country to make the top 30, ahead of Barbados and Antigua. The general crime rate in St Lucia is one of the lowest in the Caribbean, making it a safe haven for tourists and for living. What’s more the island benefits from a stable government and economy, and there are very favourable tax concessions for property buyers from overseas: No Rental Income Tax, No Capital Gains Tax, No Inheritance Tax, No Repatriation Tax. The island is still unspoilt and undeveloped, although several new developments have recently been started. The government sees expansion of tourism as a key objective and the growing popularity of the island for holidays mean that there is excellent rental potential for properties. The real estate sector in St Lucia is booming. St Lucia is still one of the most reasonably priced islands in the Caribbean for property acquisition with prices 60% lower than on Barbados. Property prices have increased by around 40% per annum for the last 2 years, and are projected to continue to rise for the next 5 years.
This all points to a fast maturing property market in St. Lucia with increasing prices, making an early commitment to a home a sound investment in lifestyle and real estate. Rental Comparison

The table below shows typical room rates for 5 Star accommodation in St Lucia with prices quoted in sterling:

Accommodation Current Price per night** Hotel Studio £130 1 Bed Apartment £180 2 Bed Apartment £250

Based on a studio apartment priced at £95,000 with a 10% Rental Guarantee you would receive £9,500 per year for the first 2 years Thereafter, a 50:50 split of the net room rate shared with the hotel. Lets’s assume a conservative room rate of £130 per studio per night

If we also assume a conservative occupancy rate of 65%* the rent receivable would be as follows:

£130 x 365 x 65% = £30,800

£30,800 split 50:50 with the hotel provides a gross income for the investor of:

£15,400 per annum

If you were to do the same calculation for a 1 bedroom and a 2 bedroom apartment the figures would be as follows:

  Rent per annum Gross Yield per annum*** Hotel Studio purchased at £95,000 £15,400 16.21% 1 bed apartment purchase price £125,000 £21,300 17.04% 2 bed apartment purchase price £150,000 £29,650 19.77%

With gross yields from buy to let investments in the UK averaging around 5% per annum the conservative figures above really do make interesting reading!

* The average occupancy rate for similar developments in St Lucia is believed to be 80 to 85%.

** Figures quoted at current room rates, which we fully expect to increase over the development period.

*** Note: the gross yield figures do not allow for the rolled up interest on the stage payments and deposit (if chosen).

———————————————————————————————————————————

Merrill Lynch has recently published the World Wealth Report 2008

Looking To The Caribbean As A Whole

It reports on the wealth of the world, and in particular how the various property markets are doing.

In summary:

a) There is more money available globally than before
b) There are more millionaires than before
c) This wealth is being created from emerging markets – and the Caribbean is named as a HOTSPOT!
d) The ultra wealthy look to invest in places with global communications, sports facilities and a green policy – all of which we have!

Therefore there is still wealth to be invested, and there is still wealth spending money on tourism!!

Interesting quotes from the report:

Source: Robert McCann Vice Chairman and President Global Wealth Management Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc.
Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Report 2008

“The US economic slowdown weighed heavily on key mature regions. However strong performances in emerging markets boost high net worth individuals gains around the globe….world growth was strong in 2007 and drove sold increases in both HNWI populations and overall wealth”

“Growth in global HNWI wealth of 9.4 from the previous year”

“Emerging markets (showed) the greatest…gains”

“50% more cash available in Russia”

“still strong…emerging markets are likely to sustain high levels of growth”

“globally direct commercial real estate investments rose 8.4%”

“as signs of financial market recover appear, we project that high net work individuals will likely return to their pursuit of high returns, particularly in emerging frontier markets – such as the Caribbean”

“despite rising cost and financial market turmoil, high net worth individuals did not give up expensive purchases” IE Luxury purchases including property and travel.

——————————————————————————–

Quotes and Information on the Caribbean

Liam Bailey, Head of Residential Research Knight Frank
“global property prices rose by 11% during 2007″

“highest price growth achieved by prime residential properties was in Antigua (40%)”

“the strongest growth was being demonstrated in the emerging economies…with a second streak of strong growth in second home hot spots in…the Caribbean”

Financial Times, 21 April 2007
‘Demand from buyers has been strong… and property prices rose 40 per cent last year as a result.’

Ft.com, June 1st 2007
“What we are seeing in the Caribbean is a lot of new development going on and it appeals beyond the US: it appeals to the Europeans who are attracted to the Caribbean.”

Ft.com, June 1st 2007
“People are spending from $4m to $10m on the houses in the region. Certainly prices in the Caribbean are higher than in the past. It’s not difficult to spend $15-$20m or even $40m for really top of the line estates”

Ft.com, June 1st 2007
Mr Ryan recounts how the project began, 10 years ago. “In 1997, Ritz-Carlton invited me to do a project here. They are a management company, and saw that the market was underserved. They saw potential here. They tried to get the project done on their own and, when it did not happen, they decided to reach out to a developer. ‘If you make it happen, we will give you a brand and manage it,’ they told me.”

Ft.com, June 1st 2007
“The average appreciation is 12 per cent a year for the past 17 years. Bear in mind that this return is not taxed by the local authorities.”

www.Propertyweek.com, 4th April 2008
In 2007 the small overseas property fund outperformed the UK real estate by around 50%.

Peter De Savory, quoted on www.Propertyweek.com, 4th April 2008

“You can buy first class new land for $700 to $1,200/sq ft. In Barbados it’s around $2,500.”

“It’s not as if all the rich people have died,’ he says with a wry grin. ‘Leisure is quite a protected sector. There will always be people who need a holiday in the sun, and not everyone in the world wants Dubai or the south of France.

‘Provided you are creating value in the mind of the customer then the price is not the issue. It’s not whether it is expensive or cheap. We’re not providing people with essentials we are providing them with an indulgence. ‘Value is intangible. It’s about an aroma of attractiveness. There is no logic to it…
Figures from World Tourism Organisation, “Tourism highlights 2007”
Globally, international arrivals have grown by 400 Million people since 1990, a growth rate of 94%, averaging 3.6% per year since 2000. Within the Caribbean, international arrivals have increased by 8 million people in the same period, an increase of 41.2%, with an average of 2.2% since 2000.

Ft.com, October 3rd 2004 and March 28th 2003
The tourism industry brings the Caribbean’s struggling economies about $20bn (£13bn) a year, and accounts for 30 per cent of gross domestic product and provides one of every four jobs.

The $20bn tourism industry is the ‘economic mainstay’ for many of the Caribbean’s island states. For example, ‘the gross domestic product for the Bahamas was $5.3bn last year. Seventy per cent of that was generated from tourism-related business.’

——————————————————————————–

Quotes and Information Specific to St Vincent & The Grenadines

Tourism
www.svgtourism.com
Caribbean tourism organisation, “St. Vincent and The Grenadines 2006”

In 2006 the breakdown of international visitors to St. Vincent and The Grenadines breaks down as follows:

US 28,598 (29.4%)
UK 14,837 (15.2%)
T&T 11,002 (11.3%)
Canada 6,542 (6.7%)
Other Caribbean 27,217 (27.9%)
Other Europe 7,214 (7.3%)
Rest of World 2,112 (2.2%)

The number of UK visitors to St. Vincent and The Grenadines in 2006 was 14,837, 15.2% of the total number of visitors to the island (94,432). The total number of arrivals has increased by 25.5% since 2002 at an average rate of 5.93% per year during this period.

In 2006 Total Expenditure by tourists was $95.6 million.
The Tourism Budget was $3.474 million.

In 2007 total visitors increased by 16.5%. The UK (21.4%), Canada (8%) and USA (2.7%) all saw significant growth.

Economic Growth
Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
Between 2003 and 2007, the economy in St. Lucia has grown on average at 6.03%

Tax Incentives
National Investment Promotions Inc
In line with the governments aim to encourage growth in Tourism concessionary rates of tax are payable on property.

For tourism related development where the occupancy tax is applicable and the annual rental value exceeds $20,000 the tax charged is 1.5% rather than the usual 5%.

Investment Promotions Inc
Hotels with more than 35 rooms are granted 15years income tax exemption from date of opening of the resort.

An approved construction order grants concessions for construction materials for excise duties and consumption tax

Resorts accommodating more than 100 people are exempt from import duties on food and beverages.

——————————————————————————–

Quotes and Information Specific to Barbados

Tourism
Figures from Caribbean tourism organisation, “Barbados 2006”

In 2006 the breakdown of international visitors to Barbados breaks down as follows:

2006 visitors UK 211,523 (37.6%)
US 130,767 (23.2%)
Other Caribbean 82,989 (14.8%)
Canada 49,198 (8.7%)
T&T 34,480 (6.1%)
Other Europe 29,400 (5.2%)
Rest of World 24,201 (4.3%)

The number of UK visitors to Barbados in 2006 was 211,523, 37.6% of the total number of visitors to the island (562,558). The total number of arrivals has increased by 13% since 2002 at an average rate of 3.13% per year during this period.

In 2006 the total Expenditure by tourists was $ 763.2 Million. This averaged out to $127.48 per day for each tourist in Barbados.

Economic Growth
St. Lucian Budget Address for Financial year 2008/2009
Economic growth for Barbados in 2007 was 4.3%.

Ft.com, January 23 2004
When considering the welcoming nature of the locals to settling tourists it is worth considering the Bajan Governments policies. Described as “far-sighted,” All its beaches are available for use by the whole population as they are national property. This encourages integration between visitors and Bajans.

Tax Incentives
Barbados Tourism Investment Inc, “Legislation and Incentives”
One of the main tax incentives offered by the Bajan government is the Tourism Development Act. This was designed to offer incentives to expand the tourism and hospitality sector by offering incentives and corporation, Import Duty and other tax concessions.

These incentives also include provision for “investors in tourism projects to benefit from write off of capital expenditure and 150% of interest. There is also exemption from import duty, value added tax and environmental levy in respect of furniture, fixtures and equipment as well as building materials, supplies and equity financing.”

Concessions under this act include:
Duty-free importation (including waivers of Value Added Tax (VAT) and Environmental Levy) of building materials and equipment during construction and rehabilitation;
Duty-free importation (including waivers of Value Added Tax (VAT) and Environmental Levy) of supplies for refurbishment of hotels, restaurants, villas and sports and recreation facilities for tourism purposes;
Extended tax holidays/write-off of capital expenditure and accelerated write-off of interest;
Training of empoyees;
Marketing
PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Tax, Facts and Figures: Barbados 2006
Barbados also offers other tax concessions. Land tax is calculated and payable on only 50% of the improved value of the property for hotel developments.

——————————————————————————–

Quotes and Information Specific to the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic: Tourism and Economy Statistics and Government Incentives

Tourism
Figures from Caribbean tourism organisation, “Dominican Republic 2006”
In 2006 the breakdown of international visitors to the Dominican Republic breaks down as follows:

USA 1,092,317 (27.5%)
Other Europe 812,511 (20.5%)
Canada 509,323 (12.8%)
UK 242,559 (6.1%)
Germany 226,737 (5.7%)
Italy 144,115 (3.6%)
Other 937,493 (23.6%)

The number of UK visitors to the Dominican Republic in 2006 was 242,559, 6.1% of the total number of visitors to the island (3,965,055). The total number of arrivals has increased by 43% since 2002 at an average rate of 9.62% per year during this period. The Dominican Republic had the largest number of visitors of any Caribbean Island, making up 2.9% of the all visitors to the Americas region.

In 2006 the total expenditure by visitors was $3180.4 Million.

World Tourism Organisation, “Tourism highlights 2007”
The Dominican Republic had the 2nd largest increase in visitors throughout the whole Caribbean in 2007: 7%

Economic Growth
Caribbean update, May 2008
In 2007 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) increased in the Dominican Republic by 16.3% to US$723.3 million. FDI for Real Estate increased by 120% and in tourism by 58.1%.

Tourism Development Law – Guzman Ariza Law Attorneys

This is a good example of Dominican incentives to increase pace and process of development in the tourist industry.

Qualifiers for the incentives include: Hotel facilities, resorts and/or hotel complexes; Construction and/or operation of tourist infrastructures, such as aquariums, restaurants, golf courses, sports facilities, and any other that may qualify as a tourist activity.

The Incentives for Businesses domiciled in the country include one hundred percent (100%) exemption from paying the taxes listed below:

1. Income tax

2. National and municipal taxes levied on the use and issuance of construction permits, including land purchase documents.

3. Import duties and other taxes, such as tariffs, fees, late charges, including the Tax on Transfer of Industrial Goods and Services (ITBIS) that are applicable to the equipments, materials and furnishings needed for initially equipping and putting into operation the tourist resort concerned.

——————————————————————————–

Quotes and Information Specific to St Lucia

Tourism
Caribbean tourism organisation, “St. Lucia 2006”
In 2006 the breakdown of international visitors to St. Lucia breaks down as follows:

USA 117,450 (39.8%)
UK 73,312 (24.2%)
Canada 17,491 (5.8%)
Caribbean 78,464 (25.9%)
Other Europe 9,648 (3.2%)
Rest of World 3,450 (1.2%)

The number of UK visitors to St. Lucia in 2006 was 73,312, 24.2% of the total number of visitors to the island (302,510). The total number of arrivals has increased by 19.4% since 2002 at an average rate of 4.68% per year during this period

In 2007 the total expenditure by visitors was $808.3 Million
The tourism budget was $6.918 Million.

In 2007 Visitors from UK rose 8% and Cruise ship arrivals rose 69.7%.

St. Lucian Government, “Tourism by numbers” Budget Address 2008-9
The St. Lucian Government has allocated an extra 148% funding to the tourism industry from 2004 – 2008, with an average increase of 27.7% per year. The allocation for the tourism sector in 2008 – 2009 was $53.6 Million.

Occupancy rates increased on small properties 10.7% and an average of 6% over 2 years to 70.3%. The whole island had an occupancy rate of 67.8% up at an average of 4.5% over 2 years. In 2007 the Hotel occupancy was 69.7%.

In 2007 the number of UK stay-overs increased by 8%.

Economic Growth
Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Annual Economic and Financial Review 2007
Economic Growth in the St. Lucia has been on average 3.45% between 2003 and 2007.

Budget Address 2008-9
In 2007 the real estate sector grew by 7.6%.

St Lucia the new tourist destination

Ft.com, 10 May 2008
“…now there’s another Caribbean location for those wanting a home combining sun and the simple life in the shabby-chic style of the old Barbados. Welcome to St Lucia.”

Financial Times, 21 April 2007
“In an effort to protect its natural heritage from overdevelopment, the Caribbean island’s government now has an environmental section in its ministry of planning and nearly 30 laws setting out restrictions on new construction. But Dolby, whose company, DCG Properties, is building the £400m Le Paradis next to the sleepy village of Praslin on St Lucia’s east coast, says he welcomes the safeguards.”
“Spoil a place like this,” he says, sweeping his arm across a 550-acre vista, “and you spoil your greatest asset.”

“St Lucia is as progressive in its property schemes as it is in environmental protection, with a growing number of resorts where developers, hoteliers and owners share both risk and profit.”

Ft.com, 10 May 2008

“Recent changes to limit development include a compulsory environmental impact survey to measure the effect of a scheme on land, local people and wildlife. There is also a ban on building new homes within 100 metres of the coast.”

The local authorities are acutely aware of the high density building on some of the other Caribbean islands,” says Charlotte Wilson of Savills, the London-based estate agency that sells property on the island. “They’re working with conservationists and introducing restrictions to ensure St Lucia doesn’t go the same way.”

 Here are some news links for information about the Caribbean region. It makes some interesting reading as it is clear even with the “credit crunch” the region is booming.  

Global credit markets may be depressed but the investment banking community continues to show strong interest in doing business in the Caribbean.

There is strong interest in the Caribbean from the investment community that is looking at the future and the vacation market continues to be healthy.

 

 

 

St Lucia & St Vincent offer excellent overseas investment prospects to escape the UK property crash

 World Wide Resource “your place in the sun with income” ™   World Wide Resource UK – © 2002 World Wide Resource UK – © 2002 World Wide Resource Online Advertising-

World Wide Resource UK – Worldwide Investment Property – T: +44(0)208 450 8741 – email: info@worldwideresource.co.uk – World Wide Resource UK – for your place in the sun with income

http;//www.worldwideresource.co.uk

Posted on May 28, 2010 by , Reply

Frbiz.com Reports The International Competitiveness Of China’s Wood-Based Panel Industry

  (A) With regard to natural resources,

China is the world’s wood-based panel producer. While the wood-based panel industry, which really belong to resource-dependent industries. Lack of domestic natural resource endowment, international environmental voice of the grim situation caused by imports of raw materials and the upsurge in tension between social needs, determine the limitations of China’s wood-based panel industry and enterprise to survive the difficult nature. Wood-based panel highlight the lack of wood raw material reflected in the following aspects: 1. As the natural forest protection project in the implementation of major ecological engineering, China’s timber production is gradually reduced; 2. Resources of structural deficiency: Plywood with large diameter class material, hardwood timber, especially valuable hardwood, are alarmingly scarce. For a long time mainly depend on import. Large-diameter grade hardwood, mainly from Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and other regions, but in these areas in recent years, a sharp decline of tropical timber resources.

3. Raw material base construction: Although China’s fast growing forest base construction in the 20th century and the mid-80s has been rapid development. But they are concentrated in a number of ecologically sensitive areas not suitable to provide timber. Another. As the paper raw material swallowed by the rapid development of the wood shortage of raw materials needed for the conflict intensified. Lack of resources led to our logs, plywood and other timber prices above world market average. For wood-based panels in a low-profit status of the whole industry is concerned, the narrow room for downward movement with the high cost of making the development of wood-based panel industry are severely constrained, in the competition in a very unfavorable position. Raw material shortage is affecting the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, the most important disadvantage factor.

(B) With regard to labor costs

Although wages in recent years, China’s labor situation analysis, labor costs increase year by year, but our wood-based panel industry’s employment, total wages and average annual wage Jun Cheng a decreasing trend. In 2005, for example, China’s wood processing and bamboo and rattan palm grass products industry practitioners and workers in the post than that in 2004 a decrease of 0.1%, compared to 2003 decreased by 0.16% and 0.14%: the average annual wage of workers employed is only 8739 yuan , while in 2003 an increase of more than 0.16%, but still at a very low level. In general, the labor costs in developed countries 1 / 10.

Plywood with a labor-intensive features such as primary processing of products and low-end products have obvious advantages. However, with India, Pakistan, Indonesia and other countries compared to recent years, China’s wage cost advantage is gradually lost. Moreover, with today’s demanding noise to improve the labor remuneration, labor costs, labor force growth rate has made the prospect of advantage is not optimistic.

(C) With regard to the quality of labor

While the world’s wood-based panel industries are capital-and technology-intensive industries, but China’s wood-based panel industry demands for the quality of labor is not low, which is the status of wood-based panel industries are inseparable. China’s wood-based panel industry in order to really gain international competitive advantage, must be formed through the integration of labor resources, human capital, depend on the labor force, labor skills, diligence, organizational discipline, capacity for cooperation and innovation, etc. to enhance the overall quality, enhance enterprise management and R & D efforts. At present, China and the world a big gap between labor productivity between the developed countries. As a whole belongs to inefficient structure.

Although our human capital, low price, but because of human capital in these projects, the proportion of total product cost is generally about 15%. Therefore, low efficiency offset some or all of the advantages of human capital, and efficiency are often the contribution to employment costs. Thus, a shift to the efficiency of the industrial structure means that remodeling lumber industry.

(D) With regard to capital

China’s wood-based panel industry has been insufficient capital investment, capital intensity is low, and capital strength weaker. For example, enterprises in developed countries in R & D capital investment is generally 5% to about 10% higher high-tech enterprises R & D investment, China’s overall R & D investment of less than 1%, and wood processing enterprises with fewer R & D capital investment. You want by controlling the resources required to reduce product costs, ensuring the product research and development, quality improvement, technological innovation, scale, marketing, etc. have a greater investment, so as to effectively enhance the international competitiveness of wood-based panels is very difficult.

(5) With regard to science and technology

For a long time, China’s wood-based panel of science and technology innovation focused on universities and research institutes, enterprises have been marginalized, especially the enterprise’s own human resources, and research and development capacities are weak, innovation environment and conditions affected by a number of factors. China’s wood-based panel equipment manufacturers in the production scale, automatic monitoring, testing and automation and control, with the substantial gap between the international level, particularly in the host device and key technology innovation and lack of capacity, long-term follow-up and imitation at the level of, the lack of its own core technology. At present, the new large-scale continuous press production lines to rely on imports.

China’s and Asia’s largest continuous press production line in 2006 was put into operation in Sanming City in Fujian Province, the largest sub-Wood (Fujian) Co., Ltd. introduced particleboard production line of annual capacity of 450,000 cubic meters, compared to the world’s most advanced particle board production line 70 million cubic meters of annual production capacity for the gap is huge.

(Vi) With regard to product mix

At present, China’s wood-based panel product structure is not entirely reasonable, it is difficult to adapt to changing market demands: high quality large-diameter class proportion of wood as raw material of plywood too large. Accounted for 40% of total wood-based panel. While the world average is only about 30% : The harvesting and processing residues, urban waste wood as raw material, the proportion of smaller particle board. only 9% of the total world average of about 35%: OSB, high-performance composite panels, no glue wood-based panels, non-timber resources and crop straw board products such as the ratio is low; special purpose board, special size board, sheet molding board and environment-friendly production of small, wood-based panel industry in China is not conducive to a comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development.

This situation not only impede the use of the product areas to expand and prolong service life, but also a direct impact on the improvement of economic efficiency of enterprises. It should be clear that, with the relevant policies of adjustment and market demand, China’s wood-based panel will produce a significant change in product mix, new products, new resources will be one after another. To promote a variety of functional, structural use panels kinds of further development, plywood, fibreboard, particleboard and other wood-based panels in the proportion of wood-based panel production will gradually tend to rationalize.

(Vii) With regard to the scale of production

China’s current plywood is about more than 6,000 enterprises, of which 90% of the size of the annual output of 10,000 cubic meters below, only a few to reach an annual output of 20,000 cubic meters or more. Cottage factories spring up all over, companies with low productivity, small scale, with China’s wood-based panel industry, lack of funds, technical level and backward are mutually reinforcing. Small Business Sales income is low. Underfunded. Are able to introduce advanced technology and equipment, while the backward technology and equipment can not be achieved naturally large-scale operation, extremely low cost. Therefore, the enterprises do not possess the necessary economies of scale. Industry, the lack of a super-competitive industry giant, can not be achieved double internal and external economies of scale, restricting the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, upgrade a key factor.

(Viii) With regard to product brands

For a long time, due to production and operation management of non-standard and market disorder, China’s wood-based panel of counterfeit products flooding. Violation of the norms manufacturers and consumers. Industry-wide quality assurance system is not perfect, products, reputation and market share of lower corporate image poor, less-known brands such as a serious problem. However, steady progress in recent years, as wood-based panel industry, enterprises are gradually strengthening brand awareness: as in the production of medium / high density fiberboard as the representative of the Zhejiang Beauty, Luyuan and other enterprises in the whole industry in order to form a certain scale and impact of the industry. has entered a positive phase of development.

In plywood production. Rise of the Zhejiang Province in order to Naruhito Group, Germany and China Bunny or Huayun Feng, Hangzhou Huahai, Zhong-Lin (Southern Star) Wood, Shigetomo timber, Nagata wood, and a group has a leading role in the peer’s enterprises in a container floor with plywood, decorative plywood, Blockboard, the structure of the strong connection with the plywood. “Famous brand strategy” as an effective means of achieving high value-added, is gradually becoming China’s wood-based panel enterprises for the international market, a useful weapon to gain a competitive edge.

(Ix) With regard to the domestic market demand

The long-term stable growth of China’s national economy, GDP continued to increase the total, the state continued to expand domestic demand and adopt a proactive fiscal policy, the quality of life has improved steadily, the domestic demand for wood-based panel continued to rise. The development of the west, the rise of Central China city group, the coastal provinces to promote the construction of small cities and towns, the Three Gorges project and the implementation of water diversion, institutions of higher education enrollment. A large number of agricultural population stationed in cities and towns, making the development of a fast track construction, furniture, flooring and other wood products consumption is skyrocketing. In addition, China’s rising affluence of farmers also makes furniture consumption has skyrocketed. Wood-based panel market prospects for China’s wood-based panel enterprises to provide a good market environment. A more vigorous domestic market demand is the development of China’s wood-based panel industry an advantage.

(10) With regard to environmental issues

From the mid-80s since the last century, China’s wood-based panel industry, expanded the size of at least 25 times (in yield terms). However, greeted not only thriving industry picture, as well as wood-based panel production on the surrounding environment caused by pollution, mainly noise, odor, dust, and sewage and other four major problems. With its continued growth and exports increase every year, people’s attention is no longer confined to production, quality, and direct economic benefit, and not only focus on the discussion of resource and energy issues, the “green plywood” The problem is affecting their The crux of the competitiveness of the new.

Third, the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, the upgrading strategy

With the global trend of economic integration deepens, the international mobility of forest resources increased significantly. These examples show that the global resource integration environment, raising the industry’s competitive edge is to enhance the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, the foundation: China’s wood-based panel will determine the competitiveness of industrial products in international market share. Of China’s wood-based panel industry in order to achieve international competitiveness-oriented strategic shift, there are seven strategies to choose from.

(A) large-scale business strategy

At present, the tide of global economic integration to make a “strategic cooperative competition,” gradually replaced the “exclusive competition” become the main mode of competition.??. Development model of China’s wood-based panel industry is in a state of internal friction: The internal business interests-driven scattered strong tendency to maximize individual interests, it is difficult for the industrial upgrading and to providing a comprehensive power, would lead to unsustainable industrial development. Therefore, we must take advantage of market mechanisms, between the upstream and downstream businesses, the same level between enterprises, leading enterprises and other enterprises and between enterprises of China’s wood-based panel with similar foreign companies or even between the wood-based panel business enterprises and other industries The strategic collaboration between the competition to build strategic alliances with each other to learn advanced technologies and management methods. co-ordination, co-ordination, to make up their own inadequacies and strengthen their own advantages, and ultimately improve the overall strength of industry to jointly guide the promotion of wood-based panel industry the overall development. Should be implemented industry cluster strategy, to develop characteristics of wood-based panel industry town.

This strategy has been a successful example: Pizhou City is located in the northern part of Jiangsu Province, wood-based panels industry started in the 20th century, the early 90s, is currently the city a total of more than 3,000 types of wood-based panels business, of which more than 300 deep-processing enterprises, large-scale more than 150 companies. has a fairly complete equipments more than 700 production lines of output in Jiangsu Province accounted for 1 / 2, the product exported to Japan, Korea, Europe, America, Middle East and other countries and regions, formed more than 150 medium-sized enterprises , more than 300 mainly small businesses, more than 2,500 small single-plate plant, the core MILL, glue factory, machine factory made, supplemented by gathering a large-scale wood-based panel manufacturing concentration and gradually change from extensive to intensive production of production change.

Wood-based panel industry, when they should take the group conditions of the road. At present, China Wood-based panel of private enterprises mainly through reorganization, merger, joint, bankruptcy, debt to equity, as well as the development of a diversified economy ingredients absorbed by means of the formation of large enterprise groups, economies of scale, to economic and technical as a link, complementary advantages, promote enterprise reform and vigorously promote the fundamental shift of economic growth, rapidly expanding industry, strength, enhance their competitiveness.

(B) the export market selection strategy

Wood-based panel exports from the overall layout of view, China’s plywood exports of space to Asia, North America and Europe, mainly in which plywood and fibreboard Asia and North America, mainly in Asia and Europe-based particleboard: Asia region with countries in Southeast Asia , district-based. mainly the United States, North America, Europe, the Russian-based. In general, the export destinations of China’s wood-based panel single, export concentration, a higher risk in international trade.

Therefore, the formulation of wood-based panel trade policy on the one hand, the depth of space to expand existing markets, improve product share of existing markets: Male on the one hand to consolidate and strengthen the existing international market, the efforts to open up new markets. to change the export destination and export a single centralized features, optimize the export space layout, reducing the risk of international trade. Import and export of wood-based panel products in the market, the choice should be based on the geographical advantage in China’s eastern and coastal areas will be divided into several sub-markets, partition attack.

1. In the Northeast (Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, etc.) is an important forest industrial base for the Russian and Eastern European countries can make full use of the target market of industrial structure malformations. A shortage of light industrial products, forest resource-rich features to import logs and primary processed products mainly. At the same time can be used in the Northeast edge of raw materials, proximity to the establishment of wood-based panel production base and increase wood-based panel products to the above objectives the country’s exports: 2. The east coast of funds, transport, information and human resources, etc. and strength of wood-based panel strong demand for the product, such a high level of demand in the region can promote the rapid development of wood-based panel production will help further strengthen cooperation with North America (including the United States and Canada, etc.) of the trade, while the main force should be resources invested in developing Oceania import market and Western European export market for finished products; 3. should focus on strengthening the linkages with the Southeast Asian region.

(C) the industrial core of the selection strategy

Chinese wood-based panel industry is composed of a number of distinctive sub-industry. These sub-industry in the international competitive edge of the contribution made by the entire industry is different. Determine the leading industry is one of the most important industrial policy: First, fiber as a new focus. Fibreboard industry is not present, China’s international competitiveness in Asia the most wood-based panel industry. Market share in the “three board” in the location in the middle. However, since 2000 began to adjust their international competitive advantage of increased international competitive advantage has become pronounced, completed from import-oriented type of mutation to the trade balance, and export-led development.

Second, the development of plywood for wood-based panel industry, the anchor. Plywood is now China’s major wood-based panel industry’s most competitive industries, has maintained a relatively high share of international markets, compared to other wood-based panel products are concerned for our country. Plywood export revealed comparative advantages are obvious, vast room for growth. Has close to export-oriented industries. Output and export volume increased year by year in the international market, an extremely important position. With plywood as the anchor of China’s wood-based panel industry. Is determined by its deep historical roots, highlighting the performance of industrial competition and excellent industrial competitiveness by decision.

3 is a particle board for the development of a new entry point for wood-based panel industry. Particleboard as a family, one of the main wood-based panel board species, compared with the other wood-based panels, has produced a relatively small investment, energy consumption and low cost, less demanding on the quality of wood raw material and other advantages. In recent years around the world, especially in North America and Europe to become the fastest growing new board kinds of wood-based panels. At present, China has entered a period of rapid development of particleboard production. In the near future, particleboard wood-based panel industry in China will be a place and have made significant development.

(D) raw material supply expansion strategies

China’s wood-based panel industry, the market plenty of room for great demand. To increase the effective supply the biggest problem is resources. To solve the problem: First, we must attach importance to nurturing the development of reserve resources and accelerating the “Lin board integration” process, to encourage enterprises to raw material forest base Wood-based panel to synchronize the planning and construction simultaneously. Take the “forest board integration” path. That The wood-based panels to create a large scale enterprises belonging to the enterprise since the industrial raw material forest, and to ensure high input, high survival and high returns, to make a scientific upbringing, fine work, careful management. Can take the following pattern: 1. Business model of self-built base of raw materials.

2. Joint venture joint-stock business model. 3. Business and foresters contract-style model. The second is to increase efforts to develop overseas resources: to persist in implementing the “going out” strategy to increase overseas development of forestry resources, in order to alleviate the situation of China’s raw material shortage and to ensure the rapid development of China’s wood-based panel industry, provides a new way of thinking. Third, strengthening the conservation and utilization of forest resources, efficient use: through the development of non-veneer-based wood-based panels, improve product life, indirectly, reduce resource consumption, development of bamboo and wood waste products and waste of resources re-use wood-based panel technology. Development of the cycle economy and achieve sustainable development, a necessary requirement, but also to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises an effective way.

At the same time, actively support the non-wood materials, wood-based panel production as raw materials, mainly including bamboo, agricultural residues, straw and sand shrubs, and other inorganic or organic materials. Government initiatives to encourage waste processing and utilization of resources, on the one hand policy tilt. Through economic levers to a certain amount of subsidies to farmers so that farmers take the initiative to provide agricultural residues to the factory: the other hand, through tax policies to encourage in different crops producing areas, the establishment of the proper size, and reasonable layout of various types of wood-based panel business. Enhanced waste processing and utilization of resources.

(E) technological advances Strategy

For a long time, China’s middle and low wood-based panel industries are relying on low-cost products in the market competitive advantage. However, accession to the WTO, the middle and low head increasingly fierce competition in wood-based panel products, conventional products, profit margins have been compressed to the limit. At the same time, trade protectionism as a very inconsistent with the WTO’s long-standing phenomenon in world trade. This will require the number of wood-based panel industry in the past will be transferred to the expansion of the development model to improve the quality of the development track. While technological innovation is the only way to achieve this shift.

First of all. Establish and improve the wood-based panel industry science and technology investment system and improve the technological changes in the proportion of investment in fixed assets, broadening financing channels, to increase capital investment and technological progress: Secondly, backward equipment to be regularly modified or eliminated, and continuously improve the equipment The level of automation to ensure that products of low-input, low-cost, high-yield. Third, timely adjustments to production processes. To promote the comprehensive utilization of timber increased: four plywood in the construction market is the increasing application of efforts to develop and broaden application areas. Great efforts to develop alternative natural large-diameter timber board-level kinds, various functional and structure of the species with the board to promote industrial upgrading; 5 is to enhance independent innovation capability as the central link in readjusting the industrial structure. upgrading of industrial technology, establish a business-oriented, market-oriented production and research combining technical innovation system great efforts to improve the original innovation, integrated innovation capability and the introduction of digestion and absorption ability to innovate. enhance the industry as a whole technology.

Specific strategies include: small business model – due to technical weakness, can be used, “the introduction, digestion, absorption, re-innovation” model to avoid the passive situation. Medium-sized models – because of technical strength, capital strength Deng Jun stronger than small businesses, with universities, research institutes and scientific research base to achieve a common form of independent innovation. Large-scale business model – set up an innovation center. Abundant capital companies introduce international advanced experimental equipment and high-level scientific and technological personnel to provide the conditions for experimental conditions with the enterprise’s own R & D team, mature and self-growth, enterprises can independently conduct original scientific research, developing the world’s leading new products, new processes, by applying for patents to form national or international companies a unique intellectual property. and thus the formation of corporate non-tradable and non-imitation of the unique competitive advantage.

(6) Green Development Strategy

At present, many of our low-quality wood-based panel products, cheap, waste resources, pollute the environment. Has seriously hampered the growth of export trade. It raises concerns for environmental protection. In the international market in order to maintain market share. In addition to the State continue to improve the environmental mechanism, give appropriate preferential treatment. The strategy of the enterprise itself but also to make corresponding adjustments. For example, the promotion of green production, develop green products, to green design. In the production process saving and efficient use of resources and energy. Great efforts to develop environmentally friendly, low cost, excellent quality, in line with international environmental standards for green wood-based panel products.

The same time, some due to the low level of processing of wood-based panel causing serious air pollution enterprises should deal with in order to stop production. Another example of a green marketing. Green marketing, also known as environmental or ecological marketing, marketing, and it is the wave of green consumerism in the global developed a kind of marketing techniques. In the green marketing, the “affordable” is no longer the only option for consumers, a product’s environmental image and corporate environmental credibility will become more important. Therefore, enterprises should establish the products and companies “green image” as an international marketing strategy, an important component. Establish a good green corporate image. So take advantage of consumers concerned about the ecological and psychological protection of the environment. Expand the enterprise’s international market share.

Green trade barriers in developed countries is non-tariff barriers of trade restrictions on exports from developing countries, but also the promotion of human health and sustainable social development as a operational mechanism. In order to enhance business-to “green trade barriers duality,” awareness of laws and policies the government should provide support and guidance in many areas, the main entry points including: strengthening macro-control: as quickly as possible to establish and improve environmental protection laws and regulations system, strengthen law enforcement: development policy formulation and environmental construction requirements, combining: the establishment of early warning mechanism of green barriers, improve the green barrier and Technology Index System: the use of WTO mechanisms for actively respond to the green barriers.

(Vii) security system and improve the strategy

In order to protect the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, the effective promotion, the Government should promptly adjust and improve the industrial policy system. Try to sync with the market changes, in order to achieve wood-based panel of regional distribution companies and product structure more reasonable, from the macro to guide enterprises with the development of the market the development. First, wood-based panel of leading enterprises through supportive policies, actively promote the company with a base, the base mode of operation with farmers to promote industrial-scale wood-based panels and specialized, intensive development; the establishment of forestry industry development fund to encourage and support the man-made plate leading enterprises to expand production scale and famous quality products production: through interest payments on loans to support enterprises to improve technology and equipment standards, and expand business scale and raw material forest base construction to give full play to leading enterprises and stimulating effects of radiation.

The second is to accelerate the pace of adoption of international standards, improve the standard system of wood-based panel. China’s wood-based panel of national standards with European standards or internationally accepted standards, such as the British standard, American standard, Germany standard, Japanese standard there is a gap. Adoption of international standards is the Chinese enterprises to participate in international competition in the market needs, but also to break down foreign technical barriers to trade an effective tool. Third, give full play to the role of trade associations. Enterprises as market entities directly involved in the domestic and international free trade. A lot of problems can not be solved a single enterprise, and therefore must rely on industry associations. China’s forestry industry trade association class should give full play to its coordination function. To strengthen the industry’s domestic and foreign markets business information and technical information collection, analysis, and finishing, reflecting the aspirations of the industry. The global and national development situation and trend of timely information to all of the industry enterprise. organization of domestic and foreign companies involved in the important and timely exhibition and other activities. to help Chinese enterprises to establish their own brand wood-based panels, wood-based panel to promote and guide the Chinese enterprises to go global.

In short, to enhance the international competitiveness of China’s wood-based panel industry, it is necessary to consolidate existing strengths: Through industry collaboration, industrial concentration and the consolidation of the Group strategy of cost-price advantage: diversification through trade patterns and export market selection strategy for the consolidation of the demand advantage: to Fibreboard of wood-based panel industry through the development of a new focus to the development of plywood for wood-based panel industry, the anchor, to particleboard for wood-based panel industry, the new entry point for the development of strategies for the Industry Choice for outstanding core competitive advantages; The second is to reverse the current weakness : Based on the raw material supply strategy, enterprise promotion strategy, the green strategy and industrial policies to adjust the system to achieve a competitive disadvantage to improve or reverse the industrial purpose.

I am a professional editor from China Suppliers, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform.
http://www.frbiz.com/ contain a great deal of information about
robotic vacuum cleaner , dyson cyclone
welcome to visit!

Posted on May 28, 2010 by , Reply

Another week of GW News, May 23, 2010 [A Few Things Ill Considered]

Another week of GW News, May 23, 2010 [A Few Things Ill Considered]
Logging the Onset of The Bottleneck Years This weekly posting is brought to you courtesy of H. E. Taylor . Happy reading, I hope you enjoy this week’s Global Warming news roundup Read the rest of this post… | Read the comments on this post…

Read more on ScienceBlogs

Posted on May 26, 2010 by , Reply

Careers In The Renewable Energy Sector

Chronos Consulting has been involved in consulting and recruiting in the sustainable energy field for over a decade. We have been engaged by one of the world’s most dynamic renewable energy companies and has open positions in almost every nation in South and Central America. Here is one example:

Senior Sales Engineer Based: Mexico City.

The Company:

Chronos Consulting’s client is one of the biggest manufacturers and suppliers of technologically advanced products, installations and services in the technology for energy sustainability sector, generating electric energy of renewable origin, essentially based on the promotion and running of wind farms, the manufacture of wind turbines and the providing of advanced services to the technology for energy sustainability sector.

The role:

Reporting to the Area Sales Manager you will be responsible for: • Development and implementation of the sales strategy and objectives in the Mexican market. • Management of relationships with customers, identifying new business opportunities. • Work with marketing Department to drive development and delivery of new products and services to meet customers and improve customer satisfaction. • Contract elaboration, negotiation and implementation. • Internal coordination with Engineering and Services Department to ensure correct project and contract implementation.

The person:

You possess: • Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering. MBA preferred. • At least 5 years of proven experience in sales of industrial equipment, preferably wind turbine generators. • Ideal candidate will be self-starter, with strong planning and organizational skills, excellent communication skills, and strong problem solving mind. • Fluent in Spanish and English In exchange, the ideal candidate will get a permanent contract and receive an excellent retributive package, meanwhile he gets the opportunity to sign on with a solid, rapidly growing company where he will have the chance to build his professional career in an international environment.

Dr Simon Harding

www.chronosconsulting.com

www.coberongreen.com

Posted on May 26, 2010 by , Reply

Viewpoint: Why migrants matter

Viewpoint: Why migrants matter
And other reasons why UK election matters to Africa

Read more on BBC News

Posted on May 25, 2010 by , Reply

Making Sierra Leone?s Capacity Building Work

The World Bank, the United Nations Development Program (U.N.D.P., the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (O.E.C.D.), the United States Agency for International Aid (U.S.A.I.D.), the Department for International Development (D.F.I.D.).  Capacity building with its emphasis on “capacities to be developed” has always been fundamental to technical cooperation. However, “promoting long-term self-management practices, local knowledge and participation, and the dynamics and interrelationships among the various actors and levels of national programs, groups and organizations [shifts the focus of these international donors] from a traditional donor-driven, input-oriented, cost-benefit and expert-led practices”.  Also, the goals of the various local actors, national programs, groups and organizations have always been internally consistent in their need to build capacities. They include:

· healthcare workers concerned about improving health delivery practices through building the necessary human resources and training infrastructure for training healthcare professionals, and for building capacity to provide healthcare services;

· innovative public media organizations concerned about perfecting their reporting standards to meet the need for diverse and analytic perspectives on development information;

· the judicial system concerned about improving the efficiency of the judicial and legal system to provide improved access to justice;

· environmentalists concerned about ecological degradation;

· and good governance activists who at all times object to the chronic incompetence of governments.

Some of Sierra Leone’s good governance advocates are anticorruption government watchdog groups that promote an anticorruption and capacity building agenda. The Campaign for Good Governance (C.G.G.), for instance, “exists to increase citizen participation in governance through advocacy, capacity building and civic education in order to build a more informed civil populace and a democratic State”.  The C.G.G. organizes anti-corruption training for leaders in various sectors of civil society, lobbies for good governance practices in both national and local government, tracks governance problems, and publishes findings on government in order to educate civil society. Capacity building is what they believe is key for government to improve governance. Other capacity building voices such as the World Bank attributed half the success of democratic institutions to the notion that institutions that do not build their capacity are neither relevant nor creative. In its “World Bank Assistance Strategy” for Sierra Leone put forward early in 2007, the Bank has sought to “facilitate good governance through public financial management reforms; supporting capacity building for Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) implementation in selected sector ministries and local governments and continuing to promote private sector development”. For good governance advocates, therefore, finding some ways to address the challenges of capacity building has always being a high priority.

The existing capacity building programs in Sierra Leone are quite weak and hardly yielding any results. The Decentralization Secretariat (DecSec) of the Government of Sierra Leone that was established under the Institutional Reform and Capacity Building Project (I.R.C.B.P.), funded by the World Bank has its problems and does not seem to claim any real and direct impact on improving governance capacity. DecSec facilitates the instruction of citizens about the major components of the Local Government Act of 2004 which was “passed as a response to the widely-held belief that corruption and government ineptitude were major factors in the lead-up to the bloody civil war. The Act decentralizes the national government and passes many powers once exclusively held by the national government over to local governments comprised of local councils”. However, when national institutions are weak, their rules and resources can have negative and unproductive effects regardless of the good intentions of public administration reforms and policy support to democratic governance. Major General Jonathon P. Riley, Senior British Military Adviser who served in Sierra Leone in the late summer of 2000 once made some valid points along these lines. The General talked about the three essential elements of governance, security, and essential services (electricity, clean water, basic health and sanitation, communications) which must be put in place to allow post-conflict reconstruc­tion to take place. Major General Riley was serving in Sierra Leone and saw for himself Sierra Leone’s potential wealth, “its enormous natural resources: rice, timber, gold, iron, rutile, diamonds, fish, offshore oil, and hydroelectric power. [The General believes] not only should Sierra Leone be self-supporting in these things, it should, as was once the case, be exporting many of them and earning foreign currency; [also been a country with a] well-educated population [considering, for example,] the fact that it is home to sub-Saharan Africa’s oldest university. But it is not building up its natural wealth, and we have a half-done job to thank for it. It is not too late—but things are still fragile. [The General also made the observation that] the real danger is having fixed security and not the other essentials, we have simply created the conditions for the next military coup”. Increasing the perceived legitimacy of national governance is, therefore, an important objective and requires three things: greater clarity about development programs, a richer understanding of strong and assertive leadership, and a willingness to address corruption. When discipline is not enforced in a society by strong leadership and corruption tolerated, crime and negligence become systemic. 

Capacity Building is about Fostering Civic Engagement

Capacity building, defined as “the process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, abilities, processes and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt and thrive in the fast changing world” is not new. Nor is it just about institutions. Institutions have existed and have always had people who run them; but management efficiency, promoting human and civil society development, and community participation have also been the ultimate purpose of capacity building. If strong communities are not built; i.e. communities with a shared sense of belonging or solidarity and able to efficiently utilize resources and skills needed to respond effectively to crises, embrace change, and resolve issues it might adversely affect the usefulness of the framework that social capital concepts give to the meaning of capacity building—concepts grounded on relationships, trust and networks that bolster development of all the other types of capital essential to nurturing sustainable, safe and unified communities.

Capacity building is about the ‘ultimate purpose’ of people willing to learn, to grow and to work together for social change, and the social change produced can support the development of a more democratic and just society. And there is more to the cliché that capacity building is about skills building within individual departments or private sector entities.  The complexities of capacity building processes have kept the Sierra Leone government with the support of international organizations seeking for more capacity building strategies that work. Although a total community participation effort is neither feasible nor desirable, many forms of fostering civic engagement and methods of managing common affairs can be expanded. Fostering civic engagement in development programs enables citizens to become deeply involved in substantive citizenship issues. The University of Sierra Leone, vocational institutes and secondary schools in the country, including the many capacity building seminars and conferences held nationally and internationally, for instance, should support their faculty and staff, and facilitators, to know what engaged learning really is—engaging in the identifying and solving of problems for the nation’s development programs. Opportunities for all professional programs, like teacher education, healthcare and sanitation, and small- and medium-sized enterprises (S.M.E.s) education, should be developed to address and examine social issues in the nation through the use of curricular models that challenge students and practitioners and provide opportunities to apply curriculum with national development programs. Modeling good civic virtue is essential in a participatory democracy. Sierra Leoneans should be taught the value of service and requiring that students and practitioners demonstrate knowledge of what constitutes service. It is a fact that creating good citizens is a way to define patriotism, and it is that connectedness to the community that makes people true Sierra Leoneans. Development educators can be instrumental in introducing new ideas for discourse, providing knowledge on development strategies that have worked elsewhere, as well as reaching out to a multitude of freelance consultants at home and abroad who can provide expert advice on legal, financial, management, health and safety and other aspects of social change. 

In the area of skills transfer, the business sector in developed countries has much to offer the developing world. The $100 million five year Secure the Future program launched by Bristol-Myers Squibb through its corporate foundation, for example, offers a model that utilizes the experience of people in corporate America who understand distribution, management and infrastructure to harness the indigenous business capacity in developing countries. The initial suspicions and lack of trust that characterized the Secure the Future model were overcome by the architects of the program reaching out to essential partners on the ground in southern Africa to foster civic trust for the program. When a sense of wellbeing is therefore felt by citizens and roles and responsibilities of those in government are well defined; when standards are set and degrees of pride people have in the nation of which they are a part are not compromised; and when rewards people get for what they do are clearly determined; capacity building programs’ outcomes become clear. These outcomes become even clearer when feelings of trust by citizens exist for their head of state—reinforcing that true sense of pride people have as Sierra Leoneans.

Capacity Building, therefore, Means Good Governance

Capacity building requires government by officials who are accountable and answerable to the people they serve. But how can “capacity building” mean “good governance” in a nation where leadership at the national level is so weak?  A “weak” leader and a “negligent” president is not leadership. By that formula, citizens do not view the state as legitimate or deserving of respect. They easily collaborate in “rent seeking” activities, for instance, as part of an organized search for private gain by a large number of low level bureaucrats and private individuals.

The basic point is that a lack of strong leadership may simply be unable to control the levers of state power for national progress and to create the enabling environment needed for a burgeoning honest bureaucracy. Corruption at the top produces expectations among low level officials that they should have their share of the national cake. Corruption entails not just the acceptance of bribes as incentive payments by public and private officials, but may also affect the way officials do their jobs. In this regard, the role of the nation’s chief executive cannot be overstated.

Presidential leadership is thus critical to affecting change. It is the president, far more than any other departmental heads who has the stature to enunciate expectations and to enlist participation of his ministers, civil servants, and citizens beyond his government to foster the practice of capacity building and ensure the realization of genuine development outcomes. Tied to Freud’s earlier observations about leadership ascertaining that the leader must represent the group ideally and strongly, and must express the central ideas of the group in a forceful if not particularly reasoned way, the political scientist and presidential scholar James David Barber once wrote, “the President is a symbolic leader, the one figure who draws together the people’s hopes and fears for the political future.” Like how United States President Franklin Roosevelt excelled at providing the kind of inspirational motivation for Americans that marked his very successful leadership, so does the President of Sierra Leone should “articulate an appealing vision of the future, challenge [all Sierra Leoneans] with high standards, talk optimistically with enthusiasm, and provide encouragement and meaning for what needs to be done.” If the President can behave in these ways he will have the ability to influence Sierra Leoneans toward a wide range of behaviors. In the best instances, the behaviors will promote universal values. These behaviors define the true ideals of good governance that are congruent with the values that under gird the peaceful development of a nation.

Still, the Sierra Leone government can do several things to respond to the concerns about a capacity building deficit. The government and its international friends can try to improve stocktaking of capacity building initiatives by establishing mechanisms that permit the comprehensive reporting of people’s participation, persistence, and programs completion, and by taking into account programs’ missions. Further, the government can enable a more robust evaluation of capacity building programs by connecting the improved community outcomes data with program participation data collected by the implementing agencies.

Clearer Connections

Better accountability can and should start at the leadership level. If people believe that capacity building programs are not adequately supported by clear leadership standards, it produces a “corruption trap” where the corruption at the top encourages the corruption of others causing additional inefficiencies. The sustainability of good governance strategies will depend on developing strategies to ensure continuity of effective leadership and management needs. In the facilitation of citizens’ understanding of the major components of the Local Government Act of 2004, for instance, DecSec should be kept accountable by professional norms and standards based on provable performance benchmarks. There is no reason that keeping capacity building programs accountable cannot be consistent with fostering civic engagement.

Also, the work of Statistics Sierra Leone (S.S.L.) as “the central statistical authority for the Government of Sierra Leone [which provides] detailed national income and expenditure survey, a national census, and numerous surveys covering health, education, H.I.V./A.I.D.S. and experiences” should be strengthened in ways that its research can be translated to actionable programs. All capacity building activities should focus on increasing Sierra Leoneans’ knowledge, expectations of and need for good governance, as well as improving the responsiveness, transparency, political will and capacity of government institutions at all levels to deliver services.

Further, aspects of national character and leadership strategies have to be understood as contributing aspects to community programs’ success. The attitude by citizens and government actors that all community programs can succeed, reinforced by a belief that the nation must always strive for greater success, goes a long way to align people and programs, and making a collective commitment to continually strive to improve. There has to be a real solid work ethic. Citizens and government actors ought to know they have to work hard and that knowledge contributes to their success. The Sierra Leone president is responsible for shaping a national character that is defined by Sierra Leoneans’ undaunted commitment to help build their country. The Sierra Leone presidency forms the building blocks of democracy in Sierra Leone, and the functioning of the presidency heavily depends upon the president’s leadership ability. Therefore, the president of Sierra Leone is charged with creating a shared vision for the nation, and he is responsible for developing a climate conducive to motivating Sierra Leoneans and encouraging patriotism.  The national climate exudes excitement when national leadership is strong, and it is the president who creates the climate. Creation of a positive climate is critical to fostering patriotism. Overall commitment to the nation should increase when an open and transparent environment is present and Sierra Leoneans believe their leader is making meaningful contributions to the nation’s development.

 In the End, there is no Single Answer

To address the question of how to reconcile the necessary public and private institutions with capacity building effectiveness, civic engagement programs need to be reinforced. Opportunities for personal growth can be considerably beneficial when actions by citizens are making a difference and what can be harnessed to support local problem solving and self-help action is being adequately harnessed. In the end, there is no single design for strengthening capacity in communities—the ‘bottom-up’ approach is being suggested in many forums, but with a bottom limited in understanding causes, especially a bottom with low educational achievement and restricted exposure to modern ideas and development experiences, the best and viable solutions won’t necessarily be generated. An ‘inside-out’ and ‘outside-in’ approach is also considered necessary, where social associations, connections or affiliations cultivate innovative ideas, knowledge and deliberations, and open up learning opportunities from others’ experiences. ‘Top-down’ support is even more relevant from a leadership willing to work decisively and responsively with the citizens of his nation.  Keeping social change concepts as key to any capacity building action plans advances the goal of active citizenship and civic engagement thus capturing the essence of nationhood. The context that social capital concepts give to capacity building programs are useful, as the focal point of these concepts center around relationships, trust and networks that bolster development of all the other types of capital essential to the advancement of a sustainable, safe and cohesive nation.

Kenday S. Kamara is a native of Sierra Leone, where he attended Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, 1982-1986. Kenday is an international development consultant in administration, policy development and capacity building. Kenday has consulted for VVMZ (a consulting firm based in Slovakia) as Administrator Expert for the 2007/2008 ACP-EU BizClim Microfinance Demand Survey (a project implemented for the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA). Kenday is also consultant for Global Integrity – www.globalintegrity.org (an independent, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., tracking governance and corruption trends around the world) and Konesens Research, Inc. – www.konesens.com (a US-based global research and development consulting firm). Kenday is a Ph.D. scholar-practitioner in applied management and decision sciences at WaldenUniversity, specializing in leadership and organizational change. Kenday can be reached at kenday.kamara@waldenu.edu or via Skype at: medcallconsultants

Posted on May 24, 2010 by , Reply
First « 3637383940 » Last